“Lorne helped me with everything — with relationships, with me getting famous,” he tells Vanity Fair in an interview. “I was going through certain steps, and there were certain things I couldn’t talk to my dad about, because he wouldn’t know.” Among the topics Michaels helped with is whether he should rent or buy an apartment, what kind of cars to drive and which women he should see. That’s right, Fallon got dating advice from his “SNL” boss. “‘Should I date this actress?'” he wonders out loud before putting on his best Michaels impression, “‘You can date her, but you probably shouldn’t marry her.'”

Fallon has a few actresses in his past, including Winona Ryder and Jordana Brewster, but there’s no telling who Michaels was talking about. In the end, Fallon admits, “He’d be totally right.”

Letting Michaels lead the way paid off for Fallon, as that was how he found himself hosting “Late Night,” and is now heading to “The Tonight Show.” “It’s still going to be the same show,” he says. “What I can tell you is it will be the best of what we do.”